Tuesday, June 13, 2017

In Praise of Sameness

If you've ever been to a Roman Catholic Mass, you may have noticed, it pretty much doesn't change format. This is the beauty of a liturgical service. There's the Procession of Altar Servers, Reader and Priest. Then comes the opening prayer (Collect), followed by the Penitential Rite, asking God to forgive our sins. This prepares us to hear God's word from the scripture. After the Liturgy of the Word, we recite the Nicene Creed together, to profess our Faith; and then we pray the General Intercessions for our family, community and world. Now begins, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where the Priest consecrates the bread and wine, which become the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we come forward to receive our Lord, in this sacred meal, we see our "connectedness" and our Communion with Heaven and Earth is revealed. For those not familiar with this type of worship and even those who are Catholic, but not close to God, it may seem different, repetitive or the "same" each time we go to Mass. It's this sameness that comforts my soul. No matter what's happening in my life or in the world, I can go to Mass and experience the unchanging "sameness" of God. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. I can count on this "sameness" in a world of chaos. This unchanging God is where I find my center and balance. Since the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, we have followed his lead..."Do this in memory of me..." and we do!! If you explore the 1st Century Christians in the Acts of the Apostles, you will find this same format. They came together on the first day of the week to listen to God's word and break bread. Many had to meet in secret, as do many Christians today. How fortunate we are, to be able to express our love for God without fear. I crave this "sameness"!! If you're looking for this unchanging, "SAME" God, I invite you to attend a Catholic Mass. If you want comfort and peace in an ever changing world, you can find it at Mass. There's no loud pastor or booming music, just the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the "Manna" from Heaven.The Mass is the only worship that is continually being said, in the same way, in every time zone, at every hour and every minute around the world. That's why it's Catholic (Universal)!! Satan must tremble as our Savior is worshiped and offered up at every hour! Thank you Father, for you gift of "Sameness"!!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Finding Mr. Right

Having an almost 17 year old daughter, something has been weighing on my mind, as of late. She seems obsessed with finding Mr. Right, to my protestation. I keep insisting, it's ok to take time and God will reveal the right man; all of which is more than true. But it suddenly hit me today, as Christian young women, they should always be looking for a potential mate: aka, Mr. Right. Young, Christian women shouldn't be trying to serial date or just hook up for the purpose of being someone's girlfriend. Our beautiful girl's should be looking for the ideal man, not just a hook up. So maybe she has it right after all. I'm encouraging her to write a list of character traits she would like in a "husband", not a boyfriend. If she meets a person, she should ask herself, if this young man measures up to her list. If he doesn't, there's no sense in dating a man, who doesn't meet the job qualifications. It doesn't mean, she will marry the first man who is marriage material, but at least she will know she isn't just dating to date. After making this list, I suggest she pray every night for her future husband. Ask God to send the perfect mate and to mold and form his heart for God and her. I saw this amazing idea, so I'm going to take her shopping to buy a man's tie. The tie will be in her possession and each time she looks at it, she can be reminded that God has a special person chosen just for her. She can pray, the man who eventually wears this tie, will be the one God meant for her to marry. On her wedding day, she can present the tie as a gift to her future husband, and he can know that years of prayer, tears and love went into finding the Mr. Right that God chose for her. So, yes, girls, don't waste time just trying to hook up, always be on the look out for the man that will fulfill your dreams. Date only those who could be potential husbands. Keep on Dancing!! Lisa